Donner Peak is an 8,019-foot-elevation (2,444 meter)
summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...
mountain range, with precipitation
runoff
Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to:
* RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program
* Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed
* Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...
from the peak draining to
Donner Lake
Donner Lake is a freshwater lake in Northeast California on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and about northwest of the much larger Lake Tahoe. A moraine serves as a natural dam for the lake. The lake is located in the town of Truckee, be ...
. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises above Donner Lake in 1.5 mile. Neighbors include
George R. Stewart Peak
George R. Stewart Peak is a 7,389-foot-elevation (2,252 meter) summit in Nevada County, California, Nevada County, California, United States.
Description
George R. Stewart Peak is located one-half mile northeast of Donner Pass, on land mana ...
, to the north, and
line parent A peak's line parent is the closest higher peak on the highest ridge leading away from the peak's "key col". A col is the lowest point on the ridge between two summits and is roughly synonymous with pass, gap, saddle and notch. The highest col of ...
Mount Judah
Mount Judah is an 8,243-foot-elevation (2,512 meter) mountain summit in Placer County, California, United States.
Description
Mount Judah is located one mile southeast of Donner Pass at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, on land managed by Tahoe Natio ...
, to the south. The Pacific Crest Trail traverses the west slope of the peak, providing an approach from Donner Pass. Round-trip hiking distance to summit is with of elevation gain.
History
This landform's toponym was officially adopted in October 1940 by the
U.S. Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal governm ...
, having appeared on an 1873 topographic map made by California Geological Survey. The mountain was also called "Donner Peak" during 1865 construction of the route for the
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) was a rail company chartered by Pacific Railroad Acts, U.S. Congress in 1862 to build a railroad eastwards from Sacramento, California, to complete the western part of the "First transcontinental railroad" in N ...
. The railroad originally traversed the steep north cliffs of the peak via tunnels and
snow shed
Avalanche control or avalanche defense activities reduce the hazard avalanches pose to human life, activity, and property.Tunnel #41 running under Mount Judah and Donner Peak was opened in 1925. The peak, pass, and lake are named for the ill-fated Donner Party who spent the winter of 1846–1847 snowbound at the east end of Donner Lake.
Climate
According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Donner Peak is located in an
alpine climate
Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate.
Definition
There are multiple definitions of ...
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks ( orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range. Donner Pass averages of precipitation per year, and with an average of of snow per year, it is one of the snowiest places in the contiguous United States. There are five ski areas at Donner Pass.
Gallery
File:Donner Peak.jpg, North aspect of Donner Peak with railroad snowshed.
File:Donner Peak summit.jpg, Summit of Donner Peak, from northwest
File:Donner Peak in California.jpg, Donner Peak seen from McGlashan Point
File:Donner Peak north aspect.jpg, North aspect
File:Donner Peak, Donner Lake.jpg, Donner Peak (centered) seen from Donner Lake, with parent Mount Judah partially visible behind, left.
File:A Southern Pacific Freight Well Above Donner Lake, Roger Puta Style, August 1980 -- 5 Photos (32304744153).jpg, Donner Lake (left) and Donner Peak (right)
File:Donner Lake from Donner Peak.jpg, The view of Donner Lake from Donner Peak
File:Donner Peak, Mt. Judah.jpg, Mt. Judah (upper left), Donner Peak centered, from Donner Lake
File:Donner Peak, ne.jpg, Northeast aspect of Donner Peak rises above the west end of Donner Lake
File:Donner Peak from Mount Judah Loop.jpg, The top of Donner Peak from Mount Judah Loop Trail
File:Above Donner Pass.jpg, View east to Donner Lake, McGlashan Point, Donner Peak (right).
File:Old Donner and the snow sheds (49336753296).jpg, Donner Peak right of center